Sweeter Than The One Of Candy
by V. Dupre
Summary: Oneshot. A brother's betrayal and a dog's presence is all it takes to make a hectic day a bumpy rollercoaster into a smooth ride. WARNING! May contain spoilers from Chapter 33. Read at your own risk.


; 7; Undertaker Riddle needs more love. Some say it's similar to Kuroshitsuji with its undertakers and contracts, but the story itself is completely different, an amazing one too. Enough said. Let's start the story! :DDD MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS OF CHAPTER 33 READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

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Dante laid on his bed in confusion and angst. It was an emotional and impacting day to the man's life. Cloudy past events soon became clear answers. Answers that fit like a puzzle to reveal the whole picture, the truth. His brother, Dio, was the maestro to the orchestra of haunting mysteries of murders, the rises of the percussions and the highs of the winds. The orchestra's finale was the evocative melody of his death. Truly a deceitful and beautiful composition. Millions of questions and thoughts swam around in his mind.

A knock disrupted the silence.

"Come in." Dante growled. He peered at the incoming visitor who was be Hiren. He had a worrisome expression painted on his face, hands closely held against his chest as a worrisome child.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to see you for a bit. That's all." Hiren confessed nervously.

Dante shifted his body to face the wall. A person can only handle so much in one day.

"Hiren, that was a shit move you did back there."

He was puzzled. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"You trying to save me was too risky. From the start, you should know… no, actually… you knew that it was too much of a cost to disobey the king. And to add more oil onto the fire, you brought along the kid to save my ass! I mean, him! Of all people you brought _him_?! He is about as reliable as a politician's guarantees. You were this close to being imprisoned in hell. Stupid move, Ren. You fool."

He stayed silent, with completely no thought on how to answer. He open and closed his mouth, thinking that every suggestive dialogue will only make the Sicilian more furious. Ears lowered and tail between his legs, he apologized cowardly. "I'm sorry."

A dead silence was his reply.

"You're currently the only being who is receiving my trust. Besides that, you're my contractor. I was extremely overwhelmed by how you stood up for me, saying you would face the consequences of my ignorant actions. Like you said, I'm the stupid dog who goes, no matter what extent, to protect his beloved master. I believed I have done what a dog would do, because a dog's worth is because of its master. You would agree, wouldn't you? Dante?"

He paused to think about his reply. "Don't jeopardize your chances because of someone similar to me. A person like that is no worth to anyone, no matter how much they think of themselves or what other people think…" Dante chuckled bittersweetly to himself, reflecting on how much a fool he is. An emotional day made him realize his arrogant antics. Antics that masked the evidence of his brother's bitter-based schemes and his suffering. If only he acknowledged, his life would've been great. Full of power, money, women; things that all men enjoy and desire.

Hiren was beginning to be bothered by Dante's words. It upset him to hear his partner belittle himself, slivering off layers and layers of his dignity and self-worth. "Not true. Not true at all."

Silence settled its way back in.

"If you want to talk about intimate topics like this, please… please look at me. Tell me. Look at me in the eye and tell me how lowly you think about yourself, then I'll know if its truth."

"Are you ordering me, dog?" He challenged the coward-like man. If anybody were to be the coward, it would be Dante himself, who was shying away from mere eye contact.

Hiren bit his lip, then boldly moved himself in the space between the wall and Dante, laying near and facing his contractor. Shining irises greeted the pairs of the irritable.

Dante grouchiness was painted all over his face. Swiftly, he faced the other side of the room, flicking crimson hair purposely onto the poor man's face. He imagined the expression of a kicked puppy plastered onto his features. He felt pressure being applied onto the mattress, indicating that Hiren's must've got off the bed. Seconds later, Hiren appeared before him, kneeling with both knees onto the floor and legs parallel to each other. With hands neatly folded onto his lap, his faced showed a serious expression.

Dante sighed with annoyance. "An arrogant fool… who… who gives no regards to anybody but myself. Also, I…" He paused to take a deep breath. Was it really difficult to belittle himself? Oh, how conceited did that sound.

A smile played across Hiren's lips. "You see. You're unable to do speak like that… let alone, me as well."

"Yeah, and? So what?" Dante secretly showed defeat.

"There's nothing very important to discuss about now." He flashed his goofy grin, making Dante, in turn smile slightly. As long as Dante feel even the slightest of self importance and know how much of an importance he is to him, it would leave extreme happiness in him. "Oh, I just remembered!"

"What is it?" Dante was intrigued.

"I have something… I… (Which pocket was it?) was planning to give you before you… disappeared." Hiren patted himself to find his present. He was later ecstatic to have found it, holding it in his hand. "It's nothing much, but it's sweets from my childhood." He held out his hand to show an array of candies wrapped in different colors of the rainbow. He smiled sweetly at them. They brought such nostalgic memories of his youth.

"Here. Eat this one. I promise that it'll taste good." Hiren had a candy bundled in a shiny red wrapper. He held it up to Dante's hair. "It matches your beautiful hair delightfully."

Dante's face soon blushed furiously, imitating the hue of red on the wrapper. "Stupid dog."

Hiren simply chuckled. With his slender fingers, he unwrapped a yellow piece of candy, immediately popping it into his mouth. He began to reminisce on good times of the far past.

A sweet, yet light taste of strawberries settled onto Dante's mouth. "How is the candy?"

Hiren looked at him with perkiness. "Yum." He answered quite simply.

Dante chuckled like a genuine gentleman, light and charming. "My loyal, stupid dog…" He reached over to softly caress his partner's ebony hair. Gingerly running his thumb under his surprised eye, he spoken out words that have never been uttered earnestly before. Words that left a sweet taste on his tongue. A taste sweeter than the one of candy. "For my sake, do not do things you will regret for me. Be at my side. Never say 'farewell' to me, or I'll think of you to be too cruel of a man."

Hiren's eyes began to water. Should he cry? Or will Dante scold him for it? Will it be alright to hug the man before him? And convey his emotions?

He nodded. "I-I… will. I would never, Dante. If you won't abandon us, then yes. It's a promise."

"Yeah… you have my wor-" Dante stopped with a grimace. As Hiren looked on, his candy disturbingly fell out of his mouth, bringing along a small trail of his saliva with it. Dante scowled at Hiren's child-like behavior. He shifted his body to face his familiar and much cleaner wall.

The mood was hopelessly lost.

Hiren looked down at his lap. To his horror, he found his half melted candy. Hiren fiercely wiped the corner of his mouth with a bit of his sleeve and turned to Dante, shaking his shoulder frantically.

"D-Dante! F-f-finish what you were about to say. Remember? You said, 'You have my wor-_rr_'?" Hiren slightly emphasized the '_r_' sound to encourage Dante to finish.

"Worthlessness. You heard wrong, it was 'You have worthlessness.'" Dante retorted coldly. The warm atmosphere quickly dispersed into nothing.

Hiren's eyes with filled to the brim with tears. "I'm sorry! Please, don't act so cruel. I apologize, please, let me be forgiven."

Dante pulled out a crushed carton of cigarettes, lazily he searched under his pillow for his lighter. He pulled out the item, discovering to be empty of its lighter fluid. He grew exceedingly grumpy. The Sicilian closed his eyes, his mind was in deep thoughts. Thoughts about the past and possible future. Yet, if those fragile, painful steps did not appear before him, the events leading up to being an undertaker would never been possible. If being undertaker didn't happen to exist, then surely meeting cowardly Hiren would be too. It was because of him, that he was able to forgive his brother, healing his deep lacerations of betrayal.

He turned onto his back, head tilted to face his partner. "Give me one of those candies. I'll forgive you alright, if you give me one." He succumbed to Hiren's pleas.

His face light up like a lantern. He firmly pressed a piece onto Dante's hands with an inviting smile.

Looking up to the ceiling, he unwrapped the lustrous sweet, popping it into his mouth and mumbling his gratitude. "Thanks."

"Woof!" Hiren answered playfully.

Dante looked at him with one cocked eyebrow. Spontaneously, he burst out laughing, flicking Hiren's forehead affectionately. "Oh god, Ren, you damn idiot."

He couldn't think a world without meeting his beloved dog. It's unimaginably impossible. A world without a taste sweeter than the one of candy.

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A/N: That awkward moment when you have a piece of gum in your mouth while you're talking… then that dang wad has to jump out of your mouth… onto the floor between you and another person. Like I said, dang wad. Hope you enjoyed. -V


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